Kevin De Bruyne pulls rank to give Erling Haaland a Man City reality check vs Liverpool FC

Haaland moment shows what he can offer CityIt was a quiet domestic debut for Erling Haaland, until a through-ball into the box set him up for a one-on-one with Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk for the first time. He held off a challenge from Andy Robertson, shoving him to the floor, and registered Manchester City's first shot on target in the game out of nothing.Moments later, he lost Van Dijk in the area and could have scored from close range, with other half-chances going begging. If the through-balls improve and crosses become more accurate, Haaland will have no problem handling even the best Premier League defenders. This was a subdued performance, but one with plenty of promise and room for improvement.De Bruyne pulls rank on HaalandOn the subject of improving those through-balls, one missed opportunity saw Kevin De Bruyne look to break through the centre, Haaland jumped the gun, and then took too long to get back onside. De Bruyne lost possession and walked off in a sulk, and as soon as play stopped, engaged Haaland in a lengthy talking to on the halfway line to make his point.

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The same thing happened in Green Bay when Haaland tried to have a go at De Bruyne, and in Leicester the pair exchanged views on how the other should have done better. Both times, De Bruyne's seniority won the argument. It will take time for that relationship to click, and the early evidence shows the two may need more work on the training ground to get on the same page.Alvarez gets what he deserves

While most of City's squad looked slightly behind Liverpool in fitness terms owing to their differing approaches to pre-season, Julian Alvarez has been playing non-stop since